Thunderbolts Re-Sign Forward Derek Contessa
Published on October 6, 2025 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the re-signing of forward Derek Contessa for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President's Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.
Contessa returns for his second season with the Thunderbolts after joining Evansville as a free agent in the Summer of 2024, after playing his first professional season with the Macon Mayhem in 2023-24. In the 2024-25 regular season, Contessa scored 5 goals and 12 points in 45 games, bringing his SPHL regular season career total to 13 goals and 33 points in 93 games. The Freehold, New Jersey native elevated his play in the President's Cup Playoffs, scoring two goals, including the double overtime game-winning goal in Game One of the final series in Knoxville, and three points in Evansville's 7 games en route to the President's Cup. Prior to 2023-24, Contessa played division one college hockey at Sacred Heart University from 2019-2021 and division three at Endicott College from 2021-2023. In juniors, Contessa played one season in the NAHL with the Shreveport Mud Bugs in 2017-18, where he won a Robertson Cup Championship, and the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL in 2018-19.
Reflecting on 2024-25, Contessa commented: "Joining the team last year, I was ecstatic to come to Evansville and play at Ford Center. I knew how great the town was and how professional of a building the Ford Center is. Once I got to Evansville and met the team, I knew we had something special. Winning any championship at any level is a feat to accomplish, and every team goes through ups and downs. We were really close, and we meshed so well together that we were unstoppable during the playoffs. We put all the pieces together, with the President's Cup being the result, and winning the Cup is a memory that I will never forget." Transitioning into 2025-26, Contessa continued: "(Winning the Cup) it's something I want to replicate this year, and this year I want to finish in the top four of the standings going into the playoffs, giving ourselves more breathing room later in the regular season. I want to be unstoppable as a power forward and contribute more consistently in scoring, my training this Summer has been focused on that, and I am excited to see how it plays out during the season." In closing, Contessa finished by saying: "My excitement level for this coming season is through the roof. I can't wait to be with the team and see our fans again. The season is around the corner, and I can't wait!"
On re-signing Contessa, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: "Contessa really stepped up last season and especially in the postseason. He's a big body who wins a lot of battles at the net-front and along the boards. He was a dominant force in the playoffs, and we are confident he will bring that consistency throughout the coming season."
Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.
SPHL Stories from October 6, 2025
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